Commissioner Rahn says he has more work to do in Manatee County's District 4

Mike Rahn has only held two town hall meetings during his four-year term as the District 4 Manatee County commissioner. 

“Town halls serve a purpose,” Rahn said. “But sometimes you get pulled away from the crux of what you’re really talking about because town halls are for the district. I found out that getting boots on the ground with individuals in their communities is the best way for me to find out what their needs are.”

Rahn regularly meets with citizens at homeowner association meetings, and sometimes, in their living rooms. While he votes on issues and policies that affect the entire county, Rahn emphasized how important it is for a district commissioner to understand the needs of each and every individual and business owner within that district. 

District 4, in particular, has an array of different neighborhoods and businesses. Rahn called it “the urban core of Manatee County” with three colleges, the IMG Academy, industry surrounding the airport and commercialization up and down U.S. 41.

“It’s not a single purpose district,” he said. “It has many focuses that have to be met daily. So I’ll meet with anybody. I don’t care who you are. If we agree to disagree, at least we learned something about each other that day.” 

Rahn plans on meeting more residents in District 4 at their doorsteps over the next four months because he’s running for reelection and plans to do a lot of knocking on doors. 

As of now, there are no Democrats in the District 4 race, so Rahn’s major campaign push is to win the Republican nomination during the Aug. 18 primary election. He has one challenger: Glen Gibellina. 

Rahn, 64, has lived in Palm Aire for 18 years. While he’s proud of his accomplishments on the commission over the past four years, he said he has more work to do.

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

“We need to continue work on the aging infrastructure in District 4,” Rahn said. “We’re one of the oldest districts, but we’re doing a lot of improvements right now.” 

To the west of Palm Aire, neighborhoods within the Pearce Drain Watershed have experienced chronic flooding. A $4.2 million stormwater and water quality storage facility is being built at 6525 33rd Street East to mitigate that flooding. 

Road projects, such as the 51st Street West extension and intersection improvements at State Road 70 and Lockwood Ridge Road, are also among Rahn’s priorities, as are smaller-scale road improvements. 

In January, commissioners approved a permanent sidewalk easement on Shade Avenue near University Parkway, where there’s a mix of neighborhoods and businesses. The aim is to improve pedestrian safety in a busy area.

Rahn is equally focused on economic development in the district. 

He noted some District 4 success stories of attracting large companies, such as Amazon building a delivery station on Tallevast Road, and Pilatus Aircraft building a manufacturing facility at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

But he wants to see more neighborhood services, as well. Rahn is spearheading a project called Vision 41, which will redesign U.S. 41 to enhance its safety, functionality and visual appeal from the Sarasota County line up to Cortez Road. 

Given enhancements, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and reduced speed limits, U.S. 41 is slated for revitalization to attract more businesses that serve the surrounding neighborhoods, such as doctor’s offices and hair salons. 

Rahn is working with county staff to look at the zoning issues up and down the corridor and to consider potential amendments to the land development code that would offer more opportunities for redevelopment.

Light Up Manatee is another initiative where Rahn is taking the lead. The $3 million project has been underway since 2022 installing street lights in under-lit neighborhoods. 

“Manatee County (when I was first elected in 2022) was 90% dark,” he said. “There were a lot of underserved communities that were having crime and homelessness issues. When we put those lights in, it helped the residents, the Sheriff’s Office, the fire departments and EMS.”

Rahn has been in the mortgage industry for 38 years, but he’s taken a step back to focus on his current commission duties and his campaign. 

“Whoever says (being a commissioner) is a part-time job is not correct,” he said. “This is a full-time job — 24/7, 365. Even when you want to take some time off, you don’t. But I love every minute of it. When I need a release, I put my earbuds in and take a long walk.”